Case Study: Bialetti Moka Express
Essential Idea:
Classic designs can transcend obsolescence
Introduction
Italian designer Alberto Alessi (not the designer of the Moka pot) describing the Moka coffee pot. Interestingly, he is related to the original designer of the coffee pot.
Step by step process of making a pot of coffee with the Moka pot.
“The fact is that the Moka is now inscribed in the collective memory of the Italian people. It formalised the then novel ritual of making coffee at home (until then an espresso was often the preserve of café culture), making the process intimate and familiar.
With the reassuring rumble of the coffee being produced over a gas flame, it has established a connection with the public’s imagination that will continue to be repeated every morning regardless of the fashions currently prevailing on the market for electric, single-serving coffee machines with their packets and capsules,” wrote Alberto Alessi, Bialetti’s grandson in an article in 2011.
source: TheKichnn"The Bialetti Moka celebrates more than 80 years of classic design elegance and technological simplicity. From the early 1950s to the present day, Bialetti has manufactured over 200 million coffee makers. In particular, the Moka Express has become iconic and has allowed millions of consumers to enjoy great Italian coffee.
The Moka produces a rich, authentic espresso in just minutes. The aluminum pot features Bialetti’s distinctive eight-sided shape that allows it to diffuse heat perfectly to enhance the aroma of your coffee."
Source: Bialetti
How the Moka pot works
The inside of a Bialetti Moka coffee maker. The hot water is turned into steam, which forces water up through the ground coffee beans, into the upper chamber
Innovation inspired by a washing machine
The inspiration for this type of coffee maker came to Alfonso Bialetti from watching his wife us a "levssiveuse" to do laundry. This machine used hot water to clean and wash clothes. When placed on a flame, this small bucket forced how water up through a central column to wash clothes.
A levssiveuse for washing clothes, which inspired the design of the Bialetti Moka coffee pot.
Source: WikipediaMoka Range
After WWII, the design began to become a standard feature in Italian homes. Cafe's at the time were largely the domain of men. Women drank coffee at home. The Bialetti Moka provided these women with high quality coffee that they could make in their home.
Recognizing that many households were cost-conscious, Bialetti produced the Moka in a variety of sizes (from single cup to 12 cups). This allowed users to brew the precise amount of coffee needed and avoid wasting coffee. About 9/10 homes have at least one Bialetti coffee maker.
Tradition meets innovation
Recognizing that many modern kitchens now use induction heat sources, rather than gas or electric elements, Bialetti has develop a new range of Moka pots that are better suited to this heating element. The physical properties of steel mean that it conducts the heat better, using less energy to heat the pot than the traditional aluminum pot.
From the Bialetti website:
Moka Induction is the first Moka pot that can also be used on induction hobs. A functional combination of materials makes this coffee maker unique and inimitable: the octagonal aluminium collection chamber represents tradition and continuity with the historical Moka Express, while the steel boiler with a truncated conical shape also allows it to be used on induction hobs.
Introducing the Moka Induction coffee pot, designed specifically for induction heating elements.
Questions and Reflection
Identify the strategy of innovation that Alfonso Bialetti used to develop the coffee maker?
What was the niche market that Bialetti identified? Describe the characteristics of this market, and Identify strategies Bialetti used to capitalize on it
What Design for Manufacturing strategy does the Bialetti Moka coffee maker use? Describe how this strategy contributes to the classic design status of the maker.
From the perspective of design, emotional responses can be categorized into three types; visceral, behavioral, and reflective. In what ways does the Moka create emotional responses in user? Use the videos above to guide you.
5. Describe how Image, Mass Production, and ubiquitousness play a role in making the Bialetti coffee maker a classic design.
6. Identify whether the Bialetti Moka meets a practical function, psychological function, or both.
7. Describe the benefits for a company or designer filing a patent to protect their design.
8. Outline why the material properties were considered in the development of the Moka Induction?
Analyzing for Innovation
Design challenge:
How might we redesign an existing product to improve its psychological function?
Resources
